The Enthusiastic Birder: Calgary, Alberta - Day 6

Great Horned Owl

After I took day 5 off from Fish Creek, day 6 found me again at Burnsmead. Straight away I recorded a lifer, a Red-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus), but my goal was to try once more to see the owls at the ranch. On my walk to the ranch, I met a birder on a bicycle who asked if I saw the owls. I told him no. He said he just saw two owlets and tried to explain to me, without any success, where he saw them. He finally decided it was best and faster to just take me to them and got off his bike and lead me in the opposite direction to the one he was traveling in. After a brisk walk for about 2 to 3 minutes, we turned off of the paved trail, to first, a grassy area and then into a wooded area just below a hill. Not too far in, he stopped and pointed out to me the two Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) chicks perched on a dead tree. I took a few photographs and we both left them as we found them. I spent another hour or so birding along the creek and the woods, getting good looks at the Least Flycatcher (Empidonax minimus) and Western Wood-Pewee (Contopus sordidulus).

As I was leaving the woods heading back towards Burnsmead, a lady, probably noticing my camera, asked me if I saw the Bobcats. I told her no and she told me that there was a bobcat and two kittens by a pedestrian bridge, not too far from the visitor’s center. I hurried to the bridge and saw a few persons congregated at both ends.

As I looked across the bridge, I got my first look at a bobcat looking right back at me. It was a lot smaller than I expected, about the size of a medium-sized dog, reminding me of a large domestic cat. The cat was surprising, well at least to me, docile. It allowed persons to pass, even with dogs, without making a fuss. I got a few images of the mother and kittens; this was one of the highlights of my trip.

I made my way to the visitor’s center which was now open and I toured the museum, which highlighted the history and natural history of the area. Just after leaving the visitor’s center I recorded another lifer, Hairy Woodpecker ( Dryobates villosus). This woodpecker resembled the Downy but had a larger bill. Day 6 was one of my most memorable days of the trip with the owls, the bobcats and the tour of the museum. I added 7 more species, 3 of which were lifers.